Macron is the author of his own despair

‘Notre-Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so,’ said the President-elect Donald J. Trump this week, as he confirmed that he would be honouring Emmanuel Macron with his presence for the big reopening of France’s most famous cathedral on Saturday. ‘It will be a very special day for all!’

Just like Trump, Macron relishes such stately occasions, and it would be churlish to deny him credit for Notre-Dame’s impressive reconstruction following the devastating fire that shocked the world in 2019. Paul McCartney has reportedly been given an ‘exceptional authorisation’ to sing ‘Imagine’ within the sacred walls, while the rapper Pharrell Williams will perform outside.

Victor Hugo noted: ‘On the face of this aged queen of our cathedrals, by the side of a wrinkle, one always finds a scar.’ While Notre-Dame may have risen from the ashes, Macron’s government is a smouldering ruin. Macron once compared himself to Jupiter; now he more resembles Ozymandias.

The French President is reported to be depressed, disagreeable with colleagues, sulking in his palace

He is the author of his own despair. He was never loved, had made numerous unforced errors, but he was until June at least indisputably in charge, with a relative majority in the National Assembly, a renewed mandate of his own in 2022, some pension reforms successfully implemented by decree. France seemed buzzy, a country open for business.

But then he threw it all away when he made the irrational bet that he could see off the resurgent Marine Le Pen, whose party had just won the European parliament elections. He should have ignored her.

Lyndon Johnson said the first lesson of politics is to learn to count, and Macron, the supposed Mozart of finance, proved himself innumerate. Le Pen didn’t win a majority in the subsequent National Assembly elections but she did win 11 million votes and 143 seats – a Rassemblement National record.